Every recruiter has their go-to list of interview questions when assessing candidates. These queries have been tested time and again to show how much they can discover about job seekers. But most of them presuppose that you know very little about the person you’re interviewing.
Today, however, you have access to a lot of information before you talk to candidates thanks to sites like LinkedIn. And if you’re planning on using LinkedIn recruiting, you need to develop a new set of interview questions.
By catering your questions based on what you learn on LinkedIn, you can take your candidate interviews to the next level. Instead of getting to know job seekers, you build a stronger, more in-depth relationship.
Here are four of the best job interview questions to ask when LinkedIn recruiting:
1. How do you know X?
When you’re researching a candidate on LinkedIn, pay attention to your mutual connections. Talking about how you both know this person will act as a good icebreaker to get the conversation started.
It can help to share a story about you and the mutual friend. This will relax the candidate and give them insight about who you are as a person.
If the candidate knows your connection through work, even better. Ask them to talk about a project they worked on together and how the job seeker felt they worked as a team. After hearing how they describe the connection, compare it to your own observations so you can assess the candidate’s people skills and awareness of others.
Use mutual connections to break the ice when #LinkedIn recruiting.
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2. Why are you passionate about your listed causes?
When LinkedIn recruiting, it’s imperative to prioritize candidates with a complete profile. The more information they provide upfront, the better. Still, one section many job seekers overlook is listing their volunteer experience.
From a recruiting standpoint, knowing how and where candidates volunteer paints a deeper picture of who they are. It reveals a different side of their work experience, as well as what they’re passionate about. This is why it’s important to bring up their volunteering during the interview.
Start by asking how they found out about the charity and what spoke to them about its mission. Listen closely to their answer because it will give you insight into whether your company’s mission will also motivate and resonate with the candidate.
3. What would X say are your best and worst skills are?
LinkedIn users can request recommendations from anyone in their network. This allows you to see multiple perspectives about what the candidate is like in the workplace. Additionally, in the interview, it lets you assess the candidate’s self-awareness.
For example, you may read a recommendation from the candidate’s former manager that praises their ability to take direction and receive feedback. If the candidate, however, says their manager would describe them as a leader, there’s a disconnect that needs to be investigated further.
#LinkedIn recommendations can tell you more than a candidate’s skill set.
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4. Where do you stand on X?
Active LinkedIn users will share and comment on content on the platform. By looking at what a candidate has recently engaged with, you get a glimpse into their professional interests and opinions.
Read what articles they’ve posted or even written to find one that delves into an industry trend or controversy. Then think of follow-up questions for the interview. Make sure the questions are open-ended. This will ensure that the candidate’s answers are deep and reflect their view of the industry.
Pay attention to how articulate they are, as well as how knowledgeable they are about important topics. What they say will give the best look at how well they could perform at the company now and in the future.
